Where Do We Go From Here
by neverending-adventure
Summary: Lucy and Natsu spend practically every waking moment together, but lately things have been different between them. Not only that, Lucy has been having flashbacks of her life before moving to Fairy Tail. Why does Lucy feel like her past is going to catch up with her and why does she feel strange around Natsu?
1. Chapter 1

"GOOOOOOD MORNING SLEEPYHEAD!"

I was awoken to the screeching of none other than my best friend Natsu. His face was right next to mine and he had his signature cheesy smile. I was normally the one waking him up. He could sleep all day if he had the chance. Groggily I rubbed my eyes and looked at the clock.

"Wha-?"

"Lucy, come on! Get out of bed!"

"What the hell? Usually I'm the one who has to drag your lazy ass out of bed. Just go home and let me sleep would you?"

"But you promised to make me breakfast since I don't have any food at home," he said, looking at me with puppy dog eyes.

Figures, he would get up early just so he can eat. Ugh, what a pest he can be.

"When did I ever agree to that? As I recall, I'm always asking you to get out of my house."

"Last night, remember?"

"No."

"You said you'd make breakfast in the morning if I got out of your bed. So I slept on the couch last night," his expression suddenly turned sour, "It's not nearly as comfy as your bed by the way."

"What the fuck, Natsu? I never said that!"

"Wow, you must've been really tired last night then."

"Yeah, cuz I never get to sleep comfortably anymore. You're always sleeping in my bed so I have to sleep on the couch or deal with your constant tossing and turning! Can I please just have another hour of sleep?!"

Natsu looked defeated and sighed, "Fine, I can wait then."

"I'M NOT MAKING YOU BREAKFAST!" I screamed before he shut the door.

I sighed and rolled over, putting the covers over my head. I tried in vain to go back to sleep, but I was already too alert to return to dreamland.

"Thanks a lot, Natsu," I mumbled, dragging myself out of bed.

Might as well get ready for the day though. I grabbed some clothes and my shower supplies and headed to the bathroom. I let the water run for a bit before stepping in. The water was warm and comforting. It reminded me of home- or rather, before mom died.

_Weird, I haven't really thought much of home since running away and coming to Fairy Tail. _

I suddenly opened my eyes and turned off the water. Enough thinking time, I needed to focus on the present. If I let my mind wander to life before mom died I'd start crying and worry Natsu. I do miss home sometimes and the most stupid things remind me of my life before coming to the guild. But I didn't miss the home I'd lived in for the past six years, I missed the home I lived before that. The home where dad wasn't consumed by work and forgot my birthday or my existence for that matter, the home where mom made chocolate chips cookies for me when I had a bad day, the home where we talked and laughed together, the home where there was happiness and love. Ever since mom's death, dad became bitter and locked himself away. He didn't care that I was hurting too. He needed to be there for me, but he only thought of _his _pain and _his _loss, which made him focus his energy on distractions like money and power.

"I will never be like him!"

There was a knock on the door.

"Be like who?"

"GAH! NATSU!"

"Who won't you be like?" He said through the door.

"Nothing, it's nothing. Can you please go in the other room?"

"Aw okay, don't tell your friend. It's okay, I understand."

"Oh give me a break, Natsu! I was just thinking of… dialogue! I was thinking of some dialogue for my novel. Now, will you please go in the other room and give me ten minutes of privacy?"

"Fine," he said dejectedly as I heard him shuffle away.

I sighed for what must've been the tenth time that morning. It's a good thing I'm a quick thinker, because there was no way I wanted to tell Natsu about my past, at least not right now. We may be best friends but I just didn't have the heart to tell him about it. I knew if I told him, he would go looking for my dad and set him straight, which was the exact opposite of what I wanted. I just wanted distance between me and my dad. I was not that sad, lonely child anymore and I could fend for myself. I didn't need to prove anything to my dad. If he thinks his money is all he needs to be happy, then so be it. At least I know the truth. I know that nothing has ever made me happier than love, laughter, friendship, and happiness. He can keep his filthy money, I just need my guildmates. I just need the support they give me. I know that as long as I am member of Fairy Tail, I will always have a place to come home to, even if home is less of a place and more of an idea. I have people who will always have my back and care for me, and I for them. I will never value anything above my friends, no matter what trials I face or what happens along the way! I'm nothing like my father!

I looked at myself in the mirror, tears had my eyes without me noticing. I wiped them away and stared at the girl in the reflection. She was a whole lot stronger than the girl who accepted she wasn't worth anyone's time. I've grown so much in a short time and I have the Fairy Tail members to thank for that.

I finished getting ready and stepped out of the bathroom. As expected, Natsu was sitting on my bed waiting for me.

"I thought I told you to go in the other room."

"And I thought you promised to make me breakfast this morning."

"Ugh! Is food seriously the only thing in that head of yours?"

"Don't forget sleeping and fighting."

"Oh right. How could I forget?"

"Let's do something today, Lucy!"

"I thought you wanted your breakfast," I grumbled.

"I already ate, but it wouldn't hurt to have a second breakfast," he laughed, flashing me his signature smile.

"DID YOU RAID MY CUPBOARDS AND LEAVE A HUGE MESS FOR ME TO CLEAN BECAUSE I SWEAR NATSU I WILL END YOU!" I yelled, running toward the kitchen.

Low and behold, the kitchen was trashed. I heard footsteps behind me.

"Erm sorry, Luce."

I sighed, "It's fine, just help me clean it, would you?"

"Alright, and then we'll do something fun today!"

"Sure, Natsu."

As much as he frustrated me, I could never be mad at him for long because I knew he cared about me and everyone else. He was the one who brought me to Fairy Tail in the first place, without him, I may still be the same Lucy who kept to herself and cried alone in her room.

"Whatcha wanna do, Luce?" Natsu asked pulling me out of my head.

"How about we go to breakfast? My treat," I said smiling.

"Oh boy! I'm all fired up now!" He started dancing in place.

"You gotta help me finish cleaning first!"

"Gah," he groaned, stopping his dance.

"The faster you clean, the faster you can eat."

He started picking up plates and putting them away at lightning speed. There isn't much in this world that makes him happier than food.

When we finished cleaning, I grabbed my keys and money off the desk.

"Ready?" I called.

"You bet!"

I laughed and closed the door to my apartment. We walked in silence for the most part but when we were about halfway there, Natsu spoke and made me lose my train of thought.

"You know, it's kinda like a date," he laughed.

I'm not sure why but his words made me feel weird. My heart started beating faster and I felt a blush creeping up the back of my neck and my face.

"Wha- what?" I said.

He laughed again, "Ya know like what two people do together when they really like each other."

"I know what a date is, Natsu. Why did you say it's like a date?"

He looked confused by my outburst, "Just because we're two people spending time together and we like each other's company."

"Right but we're just friends, Natsu."

If I didn't know better, I'd say he looked disappointed and slightly flushed. "I know that," he said looking at the ground.

"As long as we're on the same page."

My heart was starting to beat normally again. That was really weird. Why did I react like that? More importantly, why did he say that in the first place? Hmm, interesting. Did I like Natsu?_ Did he like me? _I've only seen us as close friends and thought nothing more of it before but that doesn't stop our friends from joking about us. Until today I'd never second guessed my feelings for Natsu though. I tried to put it out of my mind and focus on the present. We arrived at the restaurant shortly after our conversation. Once we were seated and looking at the menu, I looked up and noticed Natsu looking at me already.

"What are you looking at?"

"You," he smiled. "Ready to order?"

"Um yeah. Wanna call the waiter over?"

"Sure thing," he got the attention of the waiter who took our order and walked away.

I felt kind of awkward being alone with Natsu because of the conversation we had but I tried to carry on as I normally would have.

"So, have you checked the board in a while for a job? I really need to make rent soon and I'm short by a couple thousand."

"There's this really cool job in the next town over! It's an easy one so it's not worth that much but it should cover your rent for this month."

"Natsu, we don't have to take a job that won't pay enough for us to share! I don't wanna short you out and take advantage of your work!"

"It's okay Lucy! You practically let me live there, if you were to lose your house, I'd lose mine in a sense."

"I hate to break it to you but I don't exactly let you stay there, you just kinda waltz in and steal my food and sleep on my bed," I grumbled.

He shrugged, "Fair enough, but still, I don't want you to lose your house so I'll just take what you don't need. You're not taking advantage of my work, we're friends Lucy. You'd do the same for me."

"I just don't want you to feel like you're doing all this hard work for nothing."

"It's not for nothing, Luce. I lo-," he stopped himself.

I looked at him and furrowed my brows. "You what?"

"I love being able to spend time at your house and if you lose it, I won't be able to do that."

"Oh," I said, fairy confident that wasn't what he was originally going to say. But just as I was about to continue, our meal arrived and Natsu became fixated on all the food.

I stared at Natsu as he ate he messily ate his food. I looked back down at my food and started eating so I wouldn't get caught staring. Not that he notices anything than his food while he's eating, but I felt like I couldn't look at him right now because of what went down between us earlier. Lost in thought, I absent mindedly chewed my pancakes. I liked Natsu, in a platonic way that is, but I didn't us as anything more than friends. Still, my reaction earlier didn't make any sense at all. If I truly didn't have feelings for him, why did I feel so funny? I reasoned with myself that it must have been the suddenness of the statement and how it surprised me. Deep down, I knew that wasn't the case though.


	2. Chapter 2

**(A/N: Hey guys, thanks for following and reviewing the story! I'm glad you guys like it! I didn't originally plan for this to be in anybody else's point of view but I feel like for this chapter (and maybe ones in the future), it'll be interesting and give you a look into what Natsu's thinking. On a side note, I've also been working on a tfios fanfic so I'm really sorry if I don't update this super often. It kinda has priority right now, but that's subject to change. I'll try to update this at least once every two weeks though. Hope you guys enjoy this chapter as much you enjoyed last chapter! Happy reading!)**

**Natsu's POV**

"I just don't want you to feel like you're doing all this hard work for nothing." Lucy said concernedly.

"It's not for nothing, Luce. I lo-," I cut myself off. I was about to say _I love you. _Where was this coming from? I mean sure, I loved Lucy, but I also loved all my guildmates. Something about the way I felt for Lucy was different though, I couldn't quite put my finger on it. Hmmm…

Lucy furrowed her brows at me and looked really confused, "You what?" She asked me.

_Shit, what was I gonna say to her?_

"I love being able to spend time at your house and if you lose it, I won't be able to do that."

_Fuck, she's gonna see right through me. Shit, shit, shit! _

"Oh," was all she said.

Miraculously, the food arrived at that moment. I didn't have to worry about it being awkward for much longer. I dove into my food and distracted myself from my embarrassment. I could've sworn I saw Lucy staring at me but I didn't want to look at her right now. Lately, I've felt strange around her. Like my heart is gonna beat out of my chest and I can never find the exact words I want to say. I've never been the smartest person but I've never been at such a loss for words around anyone before.

Every time I look at her, my heart skips a beat and the breath is taken from my lungs. I had an overwhelming urge to take her hand and protect her from any and all danger.

_Wait, what?_

Gah! Why do I have to feel like this? We're just friends, she said so herself! She doesn't want to be more than that! She hardly ever does anything but yell at me anyway. If we were to live together, she'd be constantly cooking and cleaning up after me and I know she'd rather be writing her novel or going on a mission.

_LIVE TOGETHER?! WHAT THE ACTUAL FUCK NATSU?! PULL YOURSELF TOGETHER, WHERE IS THIS COMING FROM?!_

Well, it's not too far-fetched in all honestly. We're together a whole lot more than we're apart. I go over to her house and spend the night most of the time. It's kinda like we're living together already. Except it's not, and she always sleeps in the other room when she sees me in her bed. Just once, it'd be nice to cuddle with her until we fall asleep.

Fuck. I'm fucked. I've got it bad.

I glanced up from my food and saw Lucy staring down at her food, lost in concentration. She was probably just thinking about her novel. She uses a lot of free time to think about that, doesn't she? She's so smart. I love her so much. I've loved her for a long time, but I didn't want to admit to myself. Happy always taunts me about it (I mean who doesn't really?) but I never acknowledge it because it embarrasses Lucy so much. I know she doesn't return my feelings by the way she reacts when anyone says something about us spending so much time together. I don't want her to feel any more awkward, but I really need to tell her how I feel about her.

"Natsu," her voice pulled me out of my thoughts, "you're hardly eating your food! What's wrong?"

I love how she was always genuinely concerned for others' well-being, even putting it before her own.

"N-nothing, I'm just not as hungry as I thought I was. I guess I had a lot at your place."

"Hmph, make me come out and get you breakfast after you tear up my house and you're not even all that hungry, figures," she grumbled.

She complains but I know she doesn't mind. She likes my company, even if I have a bad tendency of messing her place up a bit.

"So, are you done then?" She asked.

"Uh, yeah," I replied.

She set a wad of money on the table. "Whatcha wanna do now?" She asked.

I hadn't really thought of it much, "I don't know, what do you wanna do?"

She laughed. God, I love her laugh, "I thought you were the one who wanted to go out in the first place. You didn't even think of something to do?"

I sheepishly rubbed the back of my neck, "Guess I should've done that, huh?"

"It's okay, you're lucky you have me around cuz I have the perfect idea. Follow me!" She took my hand and we ran off.

The sudden gesture set my heart racing. Her hand was small and warm in my hand, nothing like my calloused hands at all. She led me to this moderate sized building with the words "Magnolia Skating Rink" on the front.

She looked over at me smiling, "So? Do you think you can stomach it?"

"Ha ha very funny, mocking the guy who has motion sickness."

"Come on, it's nothing like a train. You can go at your own pace, it's almost like flying. It'll be fun!" With that she grabbed my hand and led me inside.

"I'm assuming you've done this before then."

"Oh yeah! I used to go a lot when I was a kid… My dad used to take me…" She trailed off. She kinda looked sad. Now that I think about it, I don't actually know much about her life before coming to Fairy Tail.

"I didn't know that, when did you start?" I encouraged her to go on.

"Um I was probably about four or five."

That's all she said.

"I bet you fell on your butt a lot when you were little," I joked trying to get her out of this weird funk.

She looked at me and smiled a little but I could tell it was fake.

I elbowed her, "Aw come on, lighten up. You're probably gonna see me fall on my but a ton, or worse, get sick everywhere. You might slip on some chunks, so watch your back, Luce."

This brought her back to the present, "You're disgusting, Natsu. Don't you dare vomit near me."

She laughed a real laugh, a small one, but a genuine one. There's my girl, my Lucy.

_My Lucy?_

No. You've gotta stop thinking like this, Natsu! Pull yourself together!

**Lucy's POV**

Natsu didn't know what he wanted to do today, figures. When does he ever plan anything out thoroughly? He looked at me like he felt guilty for not having thought of what we were going to do earlier. Every time he looks at me like that, it makes me feel bad for getting frumpy with him as I often do. Truth is, I care about him, I really, honestly do, just sometimes he comes on a bit strong and he's so impulsive! He doesn't think about the consequences of his actions, he just goes with his gut.

Today was my treat to him though since I apparently promised him breakfast. Finally, a brilliant idea hit me, "It's okay, you're lucky you have me around cuz I have the perfect idea. Follow me!" With that, I took his hand and we ran to the ice rink in town.

_That'd be such a cute place for a first date._

Woah. What?

Why did that thought pop into my head?

_Must've just been because Natsu said something about dates earlier. \_

Yeah, that was it. It was nothing.

We arrived in front of the ice rink.

"So? Do you think you can stomach it?" I teased.

"Ha ha very funny, mocking the guy who has motion sickness." Natsu rolled his eyes.

"Come on, it's nothing like a train. You can go at your own pace, it's almost like flying. It'll be fun!" I grabbed his hand again and led him inside.

"I'm assuming you've done this before then."

"Oh yeah! I used to go a lot when I was a kid… My dad used to take me…," I let my words trail off. He couldn't find out about my past, I wanted to move on from that time in my life.

"I didn't know that, when did you start?"

"Um I was probably about four or five."

"I bet you fell on your butt a lot when you were little," He said, obviously noticing something was wrong and trying to cheer me up.

He elbowed me in the side, "Aw come on, lighten up. You're probably gonna see me fall on my butt a ton, or worse, get sick everywhere. You might slip on some chunks, so watch your back, Luce."

I know Natsu was just trying to make me feel better, but he didn't have to say vulgar things like that, "You're disgusting, Natsu. Don't you dare vomit near me."

I smiled at him, it was forced but I hoped he didn't notice.

"Well what are we waiting for?" Natsu said, "Show me your skating expertise."

"I don't think you could really call it that, I haven't actually been on the ice in years. Me and my dad kinda fell out of that tradition," why was I telling him this? I don't want to think about the past, "But it's whatever, we're here now so let's have some fun!"

I paid for the rental ice skates and we went over to a corner to put them on. Natsu looked like he was struggling with the laces.

I leaned close to him, "Want some help?"

"Gah!"

"Sorry, did I startle you?"

"Just a bit, I was concentrating!"

"Here," I said taking the laces, "let me do that."

My hand brushed against his when I grabbed the laces from him and he looked embarrassed and his face was turning pink. Why was he like this all of a sudden? First the comment before arriving to breakfast, then what he (almost) said at breakfast, and now this? We're just friends, right? Maybe not…

"OW!"

"What's wrong?"

"You tied them way too tight," Natsu groaned.

"I'll loosen them," he suddenly moved his foot away, "Well you gotta stop moving away from me if you expect me to fix it for you. There, put your foot on my lap and I'll adjust it."

He blushed at that last commented, it was very light but I still noticed it.

"Thanks," he mumbled.

"Ready to skate?" I asked.

"I don't know… I was joking earlier but now I'm scared of actually blowing chunks everywhere.

"Here," I extended my hand, "take it. We'll go nice and slow so you're stomach doesn't get upset," I smiled at him and kept my palm out for him to take.

He took my hand and we stepped onto the ice. His hand was warmer than a normal person's hand, I didn't notice it earlier because I was so focused on the destination. His hands were kind of rough but not uncomfortable to hold. His huge hand gripped my tiny one tightly, as if holding on for dear life. I never realized this before, but I kind of liked holding his hand.

_No, you're just thinking this because of what he said earlier. You only feel like this because he showed you more attention than usual. Nothing's changed between us. Get ahold of yourself, Lucy!_

I focused on skating, Natsu was wobbly at first but I helped him steady himself. We were still holding hands because he didn't trust himself entirely yet.

"I-I'm doing it!" He exclaimed.

"Yeah, you are! Ready for me to let go?"

"No! Not yet." I was kind of relieved he said that, I didn't want to let go of his hand.

He had an adorable crease between his brows and a look of concentration on his face.

_Adorable?_

Oh fuck, don't tell me I'm falling in love with him. No, I can't be. We're friends and that's it! RIGHT?! I guess the only way to find out would be to ask.

I cleared my throat quietly, my heart beating faster than average, "Natsu, I know this isn't really a good time to ask but what did you really mean earlier? You know when you said something about it being like a date? D-do you…," I inhaled sharply, "do you like me, Natsu?"


	3. Chapter 3

**(A/N: Hey guys! So inspiration struck and I've decided to give you another chapter today. Thanks for the kind words and the follows/favorites. How do you guys feel I'm handling the POV changes? Good? Bad? Any and all comments are welcome and appreciated. Happy reading!)**

**Natsu's POV**

"Ready to skate?" she asked me.

"I don't know… I was joking earlier but now I'm scared actually blowing chunks everywhere," I said unsure of myself.

"Here, take it," she extended her hand. Just the thought of taking it gave me some kind of rush and made my heart beat faster, "We'll go nice and slow so your stomach doesn't get upset."

Her hand was still out for me to take, so I latched on. I felt the smooth texture of her skin in my rough hand. As promised, we started off gliding slowly across the ice, but I couldn't really focus on that while she was holding my hand. I wobbled and she helped me steady myself. She switched which hand she held and wrapped her other one around my waist. It felt nice. I could get used to that feeling.

"I-I'm doing it," I said, smiling.

"Yeah, you are! Ready for me to let go?" she asked.

I probably would've been fine if she let go, but I wasn't ready to let go of her embrace.

"No! Not yet."

She didn't say anything, but she cleared her throat and looked at me, "Natsu, I know this isn't really a good time to ask, but what did you really mean earlier? You know when you said something about it being like a date? D-do you…," she trailed off and took a deep breath, "do you like me, Natsu?"

Oh fuck, how was I gonna answer that?!

She continued, "It's cool if you do… I mean… I think I- I think I kinda like you too…"

"Wait, what?!"

"Um," she let out an awkward laugh, "I lik-."

I didn't let her finish her sentence. That was what I'd been wanting to hear forever. In the heat of the moment I just acted on impulse. Before I knew what I was doing, I grabbed her by the waist and kissed her. She put her hands on either side of my face and leaned into me. When we broke apart, we smiled at each other.

"Does that answer your question?" I asked her.

She blushed and looked down. I put my index finger under her chin and lifted her face gently until her eyes met mine.

"I've loved you for a long time, Lucy."

"Really?" she asked, surprised.

"Yeah, but I didn't think _you_ liked _me_ back because of the way you acted whenever someone said anything about us."

"I reacted like that because I didn't think _you_ liked _me._"

"For real? Wow, I guess we should've said something sooner."

"Yeah."

Her face was so close to mine and she smelled like a mix of vanilla and lavender. I couldn't resist the temptation to kiss her again. I closed my eyes and my lips met hers. This kiss was even better and longer than the first one. She leaned into me again, but this time around, I lost my balance. We tumbled down onto the ice. Me, landing on my back, and her, landing right on top of me.

"Oh my god! I'm so sorry!" She stood herself up and reached down to help me up.

I gotta give it to her, she's a lot stronger than she looks.

I smiled at her, "It's all good."

She took my hand again and we skated off. She gripped my hand tightly and we just went in circles around the rink a few times.

"Hey, what do you say we catch a movie later?" she asked.

"Sure, sounds like fun!"

"Alright, why don't we head back to my place and get some lunch and then we'll check what's playing?"

"Sounds like a plan to me!"

**Lucy's POV**

We returned the skates and went back to my house. I couldn't believe Natsu liked me back, he was my first real boyfriend. Wait, just because we kissed and admitted our feelings for each other, doesn't mean we're dating just yet.

"Um, so are we like, dating now?" I asked Natsu, breaking the silence.

"I mean, I thought so. We kissed twice and feel the same way about each other. You_ do_ want to be my girlfriend, right?"

"Of course! I just wanted to make sure we were on the same page."

"What do you think everyone's gonna say when we tell them?"

"I told you so."

We both laughed. We knew our guildmates all too well.

"What do you want for lunch?" I asked Natsu.

"Whatever you feel like making," he said, retreating to my bed.

"You won't yell at me for sleeping in your bed anymore, will you?"

"Nah. You can sleep there if you want to."

"Seriously?"

"Seriously."

"YES! Your bed is so much more comfy than mine!"

I just laughed and returned to making lunch. I decided that a pasta salad sounded good for lunch, so I started to boil some water and got all the ingredients I'd need out of the pantry. About forty minutes passed when I announced lunch was ready, but low and behold, Natsu was asleep.

"NATSU! FOOD!"

That woke him right up. The only thing he loves more than sleeping and fighting is food. He rubbed his eyes and yawned.

"Gee thanks, Luce," he said groggily.

"No problem."

We ate lunch quickly because we didn't want to miss the show. When I'd put the dishes in the sink and grabbed my keys, we left the apartment again. We set off toward the guild since the theater was in that direction, but we didn't get far until we heard screaming coming from the town and then an uproar of people yelling my name.

"LUCY HEARTFILIA!"

I looked at Natsu, who looked equally confused.

"_What the fuck?!"_ I whisper-yelled to Natsu.

"What's going on?"

"I have no idea, but I don't have a good feeling about this," I was freaking out.

Those voices didn't sound familiar to me at all. Better yet, why were a group of people searching for me? Was it- _shit! It was a search party! _Why would there be a search party looking for me? I'd been away from home for a little over a year. Why would they suddenly start looking for me? It's not like my dad gave a shit about me anymore.

"LUCY HEARTFILIA!" the voices boomed again.

"We have to go, Natsu. Come on!"

"We can't go back to your place! Follow me, we're gonna get you somewhere safe."

He reached for my arm and we ran away from the city. I was going to have to tell Natsu about my past. Once we stop, he's gonna ask me what's going on. Not that I really know what's going on any better than he does but still, I have to tell him. I can't go any longer like this. He loves me, nothing is going to change his view of me just because of my parentage. Knowing Natsu, he'll protect me. I'm so glad I had Natsu to rely on right now because I don't think I could escape this on my own.

We ran until we couldn't hear the voices anymore. We were just outside the city limits, deep in the forest. We were both breathing heavily.

When Natsu regained his ability to speak, he asked me, "What was that back there?"

"In all honesty, I'm not sure. It probably has something to do with my dad. You see, there are things about me that you don't know yet…things I didn't want anyone to know. But it seems like I have to tell you."

Natsu looked at me seriously. I had this stupid urge to laugh because of how much he didn't look like himself. It made this feel like a dream. I didn't laugh though, because this was real, this was really happening. I wish this wasn't so hard for me. Here goes nothing, I guess.

**(A/N: How do you guys feel about this chapter? Was the romance too rushed? I kinda feel like it was but at the same time, I really needed to move things along for the plot to progress at all. The absolute worst thing is reading something where the author drags a plot out. So tell me what you think. How can I improve? Any suggestions or comments will be taken into consideration. I'll try to post the next chapter really soon!" Thanks for reading!")**


	4. Chapter 4

**(A/N: Sorry for the cliff hanger last chapter! It just felt like the appropriate place to stop. I realize I rushed into their romance a little bit but it kinda moves the story along, otherwise it'd be way longer than intended. Not that you guys would mind, but I have this other sub-plot I'm planning and I think you guys will really enjoy it. Anyway, here's the next chapter. Happy reading!)**

**Lucy's POV**

"What haven't you told me Lucy?"

"Erm, I never told this to anyone because I didn't want them to judge me without knowing me. I-I'm the daughter of Jude Heartfilia."

"_THE_ JUDE HEARTFILIA?! NO!"

"Yes. _That _Jude Heartfilia, the wizard hunter. You see, my mother was a witch but my father never knew until the day she died. I always knew I was a witch but I was told never to tell my father. On the night before my mother died, she wrote a letter to my father explaining everything. She loved him so much but abhorred his prejudice toward wizards. In the end, she decided to conceal her past from him so they could be together. He inadvertently fell in love with a witch. Since finding out what she was, he began to hate her. He burned her possessions and took down photos of her. The only thing I managed to salvage were some of her old keys that he didn't know she had, and a picture of me and her when I was very young. The reason he felt so strongly of wizards was because a dark guild member killed his father while he was on a mission. Ever since that day, he vowed never to use magic again and hunt down every last wizard. But my mother- she proved that there are kind-hearted wizards who wished no harm on anyone. He didn't like that though, and he believed she put him under some kind of curse or enchantment that made him view her in a good light. Since that day, he looked at me differently. Being the daughter of _her, _I apparently couldn't be trusted. He ignored the fact that he was a wizard as well. I ran away from home shortly before coming to the guild because I couldn't take it anymore," I started crying, "Natsu, I don't know what he wants from me. I'm so scared, Natsu!"

"Oh my god! Luce," he grabbed my shoulders and leaned down to look me in the eyes, "I know you're not like him! I'll protect you, Luce!"

He hugged me tightly and stroked my hair. It made me feel safe.

"I'm sorry I never told you," I chocked, "I just- I just wanted to escape my past. I- I was so happy before she died and then- then my life became a nightmare. I'm scared. I have no idea what he's going to do if he finds me. I'm sorry for putting everyone in danger."

"Lucy, stop apologizing! No one is in danger, because we'll stop him," he broke away from the hug and held my shoulders while looking at me seriously, "You don't get to decide who you're related to, but you can choose who your family is- back at Fairy Tail, we're your real family Lucy! We love you and we'll keep you safe because that's what family does. Family doesn't end in blood- family is forged by strong ties and love. Your father is a terrible man but you're nothing like him. We'll do everything we can to protect you!"

"Thank you, Natsu."

"Come on, let's get out of here. We should go to the next town over and try to find a place they won't look until we've come up with a plan to set your father straight."

I sniffled, "Alright. But we'll have to take a train because there's no way we can keep avoiding them on foot."

Natsu looked pale but somehow still composed, "Whatever it takes to keep you safe."

He picked me up and carried me to the train station. He was handling himself really well for someone who can't stand any kind of transportation. I guess drastic times call for drastic measures.

"Two tickets for the next train please," he said.

"I'm sorry, but that ride is all booked."

"Fine, we'll take whatever's open then."

"Don't you have a destination in mind?"

"It's irrelevant, just find us some tickets please. Just anywhere but here."

"Certainly," the lady behind the desk looked a bit nervous but she did some typing on her computer and then looked at us, "the next available train departs at 5PM."

"We'll take it."

"Alright, that'll be 500 Jewel each."

Natsu handed over the cash.

"Here you are sir," the woman gave him the tickets, "enjoy the ride."

"Thanks," Natsu mumbled and we walked off to wait for the train. We had about two hours to kill and I was getting more and more tense as time passed.

What if they find us before we have a chance to leave? What do they want from me?

We waited in silence for what felt like an eternity when the train finally arrived. We boarded quickly and left Magnolia behind for a town three hours away. Natsu was surprisingly fine during all the planning we did on the train ride. Not once did he mention how nauseous he felt. Once we finished planning, we only had about an hour until we would reach our destination. He decided to nap so he stopped feeling sick. I sat next to the window and looked out at the night sky. I was absorbed by my thoughts, it was overwhelming. I kept thinking of the worst case scenario. I could deal with being taken away or killed, but if my father so much as laid a finger on anyone I cared about, he would have hell to pay.

The train stopped and I woke a disgruntled Natsu. We got off the train and walked to the nearest hotel. We didn't have much money on us, so we had to stay at an old, run down place, but it was better than not having a roof over our heads at all.

**Natsu's POV**

I couldn't believe Lucy was the daughter of such a horrible monster. She was the epitome of everything pure and wonderful in this life and her father was the human embodiment of darkness and nightmares. I could tell she was afraid of her father, he had brought death to so many innocent wizards. No matter the cost, I had to watch over Lucy. I couldn't lose her now.

We devised a plan to evade her father and hopefully bring him to his senses. We'd find a way to end his reign of terror. We still didn't know why he had people looking for her, so we had to hide away until we could put the plan into action. At our hotel, we decided to rest in stages. Since I napped on the train, I let her sleep first.

She had looked stressed ever since she told me about her father, but in her sleep she looked as peaceful as ever. I stood watch until about 1AM.

Lucy woke up and looked at me.

"I'll take over now if you want to sleep," she said.

"Alright, wake me up soon though. We shouldn't stay in one place for long."

"Okay."

As promised, she woke me up after only getting a few hours of sleep. I didn't sleep well, but at least I got some shut-eye.

"Ugh what time is it?" I rubbed my eyes until my vision stopped being blurry.

"7AM. I know it's early but we should probably be going now."

"Yeah, you're right. Let's ditch this joint, we don't really have the money to pay so we'll just have to sneak out. There are more important things to spend our money on, like breakfast," My stomach growled as I said that.

"Umm…"

"Don't worry, follow my lead."

I opened the window and peered down. We were only on the second floor so it wasn't a big deal.

"Take my hand, on the count of three we're gonna jump and run as far as we can. Think you can do that?"

"O-okay," she stuttered.

"Alright, one. Two."

"Wait, this feels wrong. We can't just not pay for the room."

"We don't have enough money on us to pay for it. If we actually pay for this room, we'll be screwed until we returned to Magnolia. Who knows how long we'll have to stay away? I feel bad doing this too but we can't afford to starve ourselves either. Come on, I'll protect you."

She let out a sigh, "Fine."

"On the count of three then."

"One. Two. Three," we said together, then jumped down from the ledge.

We took off running, it was just early enough that there weren't any witnesses around but we still couldn't risk it. We finally stopped in front of a bakery about ten blocks down.

"I'm pretty sure we're far enough away. If we duck into this bakery, we can grab some breakfast and then head on to the next hotel."

"Yeah."

We headed into the bakery and bought some doughnuts and then decided it was best to go to the next town over.

"I wonder what everyone at Fairy Tail thinks right now. I hope they're all okay…" Lucy said, obviously distressed.

"Me too," I hadn't actually thought about them. Not that I didn't care, I was just more worried about saving Lucy because they were screaming for her.

"Do you believe things happen at fixed points in time? What I mean is, do you believe that you can change things that are supposed to happen or things that happened in the past?"

"Er- I'm not sure. Why do you ask?" I was confused.

"Because I can also manipulate time. I've never told anyone and I've only ever practiced it once. I get it from my dad's side of the family. His dad was able to manipulate time. I wonder… if you can help me practice this… maybe we can use this to our advantage. I just- I feel so helpless against him you know? Like no matter what I do, I can never be enough or do enough because all he sees is my magic and thinks I'm inherently evil because of it. Maybe if we stop my grandpa from dying… maybe we'd be able to live in peace again. This could just be wishful thinking, but I have a good feeling about this, Natsu," she looked so determined.

I didn't have a clue about time manipulation, but I'd try anything that would prevent her from being afraid and lonely. I'd do anything to stop my guildmates from dying at the hand of some wealthy old geezer who only harbored hate in his heart.

"I don't know the first thing about that kind of magic, but I'll do anything to stop your father from hurting you anymore."

She smiled up at me and hugged me.

"Thank you, Natsu. I'm so glad I can depend on you."


	5. Chapter 5

**(A/N: Hey it's been quite a while. Sorry about that guys! School's been hectic but it's slowing down and I have winter break coming up soon so you can expect to be seeing me more frequently now. Thank you so much for being patient and for reading! Enjoy!)**

**What happened seven years ago**

I awoke to the sounds of screaming. Confused, I walked to my window to see what was going on. There were people gathered around a huge fire that was burning in the middle of the property.

"MOM! DAD!" I yelled, running to their room.

Once I got to their room though, nobody was in there. I was scared and alone; I didn't know what to do. I saw a note in mom's handwriting sticking out slightly in the middle of one of her favorite books on the night stand, it was barely noticeable but somehow my eyes caught it. Once I saw it, all the memories came rushing to the surface like waves trying to pull me under. Mom died last night. My eyes started watering but I grabbed the note without reading who it was addressed to, wanting some piece of her and feeling that it was important for some reason, and stuffed it in my pocket before running downstairs to make sure my father was alright.

When I got to the lawn, I screamed for my father again. I spotted him in front of the fire, carelessly tossing things in.

"FATHER! WHAT ARE YOU DOING?!"

I attempted to come near him but was held back by one of our staff members.

"She was a witch!" My father yelled, "On her death bed she told me what she really was. Last night she told me about her magic just before she died, and this morning, I will erase my memory of her and her witchcraft. You know how I feel about magic, this is just what has to be done."

I recognized the things he was burning as my mother's old possessions.

"So you're just going to burn everything of hers' then? Before you found out about her, you loved her! Didn't you love her, daddy?! Mother was a good, caring person. She wouldn't do anything to hurt anybody! Didn't she prove that there is such a thing as good wizards? That there are good people with magic out there? Stop burning her things, dad! Daddy, stop!"

"I'm going to burn everything that reminds me of her. If I had known about your mother, I can guarantee that I would never have fallen in love with her, she used trickery to deceive me into loving her, she had to have. That's all magic is good for, is tricking people. Magic is evil and those with it must be punished for existing. Twice now I've been hurt by their kind and felt the effects of their deceptiveness. I will hunt every single one of her kind and bring them to justice. I'm going to kill practicing magicians."

"NO!"

"YES, LUCY! NOW GO BACK IN THE HOUSE AND LEAVE ME ALONE!"

I'd never been spoken to so harshly by my father. I ran back inside with stinging eyes and tears threatening to fall. I wanted to salvage some of mother's things so I went to the sanctuary of her craft room. To my relief, father hadn't gone in here yet, the only things he was burning right now were things from their room. I sat on her chair and pulled my knees to my chest and buried my face in them. I let the tears come and my back heaved with my sobs.

_So what if mom was a witch? Why did dad hate magic so much? Magic was beautiful and wonderful, why couldn't he see that? Mom showed me all the amazing things she did with magic, she wouldn't hurt a fly!_

I sat there for a long time, crying until it felt like I couldn't anymore. When I just about cried myself out, I remembered the note I had picked up earlier. I rummaged through my pocket and finally pulled it out.

_To my beautiful Lucy _was written on the front of it. So it was for me then. I rapidly unfolded the letter and a picture fell on the ground. I picked it up and examined it. It was me and mom when I was little. I closed my eyes and held the picture to my chest, hugging it and wishing it were mom instead. I set the picture on the table in front of me and turned my attention to the letter.

_Lucy, by the time you read this letter, I will be gone. I am so sorry to leave you honey, but I want you to know that you mean the world to me. I love you so much and things will probably be hard for you from now on and for that, I'm sorry. But you're a strong young woman and I know you can handle it. There's something I wish to give you, for you to use and pass on to your children, should they be able to use celestial magic. In my craft room are my celestial keys, they're in the leftmost top drawer of my sewing table. _

I curiously opened the drawer, and sure enough, there were all of her keys. I picked them up to examine them further and admire them. I'd been told in secret what they did and mother even showed me how to use them. Most of her spirits knew me and I knew how to summon them.

_Since I have no need for them anymore, I want you to have them. I've informed all of my spirits about my illness and told them to take good care of you. When you feel ready, you may sign a contract with them. Please be careful though, honey, don't let your father know of this. I know he hated magic but I didn't realize he would react the way he did when he found out about me._ _He knows about me and you now, so he will be cautious of you. I only told him about me being a witch and he doesn't know that you already knew, and definitely doesn't know that you know how to use magic. Hide these keys away and never let your father see them. When you're old enough to take care of yourself, I want you to leave home and join Fairy Tail guild, they will be accepting of you. It's going to be hard, but for the time being, I want you to practice magic in secret and become independent, but above all, I want you to be safe. It's very much to ask of you, but I wouldn't ask you to do it if I didn't think you were capable of it. _

_(P.S. Once you've read this letter and understood everything I've told you, please burn it to ensure your father never finds it.)_

_Love always,_

_Your mother _

I quickly stuffed the keys, letter, and picture in my coat pocket and ran to my room. I locked the door behind me before pulling the keys back out and staring at them in disbelief. It's a good thing I found the letter before dad did or he would've gotten rid of the keys too.

I pulled everything else out of my pocket and remembered that mom wanted me to burn the letter. I didn't want to, but I couldn't have dad see this. I tore the bottom of the letter off and threw the rest of the letter in the fireplace and watched my mom's goodbye letter burn.

Once it had completely vanished, I glanced down at the tiny piece of paper in my hands.

_Love always,_

_Your mother_

Such simple words that carried so much meaning. It may be silly to keep, but I will never throw this section of the letter away. I will remember these words when things get bad and they will help me get through the tough spots.

Just then, I heard a knock on the door and quickly stuffed everything under my pillow before telling whoever it was to come in.

My father stepped through the doorway and I couldn't look at him without feeling something awful that I've never felt before. _Is this hatred? _I wanted to scream at him and tell him how horrible he was but I knew that wouldn't get me anywhere so I just stared at him and waited for him to say whatever it was he came here to say.

"I understand you must be feeling a wide variety of emotions right now, sweetie…"

"Don't call me that."

"But honey, you used-"

"Don't call me that either," I glared at him.

"Um… okay, sorry," he said awkwardly, "uh anyway, I know you're probably mostly feeling anger at my actions earlier and I just want you to know that since you're her daughter, you also have witch blood but I don't want you to be scared of me because I won't harm you as long as you don't practice magic. You know I love you, I won't hurt you."

"Really? Because you used to love mom too and look what you did."

He was speechless as he stared at me. Unable to provide a comeback to that he simply said, "Dinner will be at 5:30, come down if you're hungry," and left my room.

That was the day my resentment and hatred toward my father began.

**(A/N: Sorry that was kinda short and there were no Nalu moments, but I feel like the background context is incredibly important to further show why Jude is so feared by magicians and why Lucy can't stand him and doesn't want him to find her. As always, thanks for reading. I'll try to update again soon!)**


End file.
